Heddle



Patented Dec. 29, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LLOYD BALDERSTON, WILMINGTON, DELAWARE, ASSIGNOR TO J. E. RHOADS &

SONS, OF PHILADELPHIA. PENNSYLVANIA, AND WILMINGTON, DELAWARE, CON- SISTING- OF GEORGE A. RHOAIDS. WILLIAM E. RHOADS, AND JOSEPH EDGAR RHOADS.

HEDDLE.

Application flied November 4, 1925. Serial- Ho. 66,849.

To all whom it may concern: I

Be it known that I, LLOYD BALDERSTON,

a citizen of the United States, residing in Wilmington, Delaware, have invented Improvements in Heddles, of which the following is a specification.

One object of my invention is to provide a heddle for use in weaving endless fabrlc, and particularly endless belts.

A further object of my invention is to so design the heddle that, after the belt has been woven, the'belt can be removed from the loom by simply withdrawing the entire complement of warp-threads from the heddles at one time. The space between the two ends of the completed belt left void of weftthreads is completed by hand.

These and further objects are attained 1n the following manner, reference being had 20 to the accompanying drawmgs, in which- Fig. 1 is aixp'ei'spective new of my 1mproved heddle .Fig. 2 is a side view showing the heddle mounted on a base block;

Fig. 3 shows a series of heddles mounted on their base blocks;

Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic view showlng the unfinished portions of an endless belt, and illustrating the warp-threads pasmg through the heddles; and

Fig. 5 illustrates a staggered arrangement of the heddle eyes to accommodate the warpthreads of a closely woven belt, having approximately double' the number of Warpthreads in a given space as that shown in Fi 4.

The heddle 1 is made of very thin steel in the present instance, and hasthree tongues 2-2 and 3. The central tongue 3 1s ofi'set at 4, to form one-half of an eye, and the side tongues 2-2 are offset at 5 to form the other half of the eye. The tongues extend past the eye as clearly shown in Fig. 1.

The upper end of the central tongue 3 is bent in one direction as shown at 6, while the side tongues are bent in the opposite direction as shown at 7, providing an easy means for the introduction of threads between the center and side tongues, so that they will pass into the eye formed by the offset portions of the tongues, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 1.

These heddles are preferably made of very thin steel, and are arranged as closetogether as posslble, allowing only sufficient room for the passage of threads which extend through i the eyes of the adjoining heddles.

The invention is particularly adapted for A use in Weaving endless driving belts of fab- 1'10, and, as shown in the diagram of Fig. 4,

' 8 and 9 are the two sets of heddles, and 10 is the reed. The endless belt is shown at a, and has a series of warpthreads b and weftthreads 0. The weft-threads are introduced into the shed of the warps by shuttles.

When a belt is'woven'as far as possible in the loom, then the entire complement of exposed warps, which are in the heddles, are withdrawn from the heddles by a single upward movement of the hand which is passed under the warps. This movement causes the tongues to yield and release the warps. The balance 'of the wefts between the two unfinished ends are then filled in by hand, so as to complete the endless belt.

In threading the heddles, the warpthreads are located in thespace between the two flared portions 6 and 7 of each heddle, and by downward pressure the ton es are separated and the thread is forced lnto the eye formed by the oflset portions 4 and 5. After the heddles are completely threaded, then the loom is set in motion and the endless belt woven.

While the lower ends of the heddles are held in alignment, the upper ends are free and open, to allow for the insertion of the warps or the removal of the partly completed belt.

By providing the heddles with three tongues, a single thickness of thin. metal can be used,'as the eye formed in the three tongues holds the threadin perfect align ment. Thisallows the placing of the heddles close together, so as to weave a very other series, when the shed changes, without'of a base, and a series of heddles'secured at 2 pinching the warp-threads between the eyes, the lower ends of the base and free at the as would be the case when the eyes are in upper ends, sald heddles having tongues ofi'- Qhorizontal alignment and an extremely close set to form eyes. 5 fabric is being woven; 4. The combination in a heddle structure,

I claim: of a base, and a series of heddles secured at 1. A heddle made of metal having three the lower ends of the base and free at the tongues, one of the tongues being oifset in upper ends, said heddles having tongues oifw$=one direction, and the other tongues being set to form eyes, the tongues being flared 1 offset in the other direction to form an eye in opposite directions at the free ends to alat the base'of the tongues. low for the ready insertion of warp-threads. 2. A heddle made of metal having three 5. The combination in a heddle structure, tongues, one of the tongues being offset in of a base; and a series of heddles secured at one direction, and the other tongues beingmne end to the base and free at the other end, 15 ofi'set in the other direction to form an eye said. heddles having tongues ofiset to form at the base of the tongues, the tongues being eyes, the eyes of alternate heddles being on flared at their outer ends to allow for the a different plane from those of the other ready insertion of the warps. heddles. 3. The combination in a heddle structure, LLOYD BALDERSTON. 

